New Peugeot Inception revealed

Whether it’s going to the gym more often or spending more time with family, New Year’s resolutions can mean a whole new beginning. Similarly, the Peugeot Inception concept is an electric car that previews the technology and styling we'll see on the French brand’s models in years to come.

The Inception is powered by two electric motors – one on the front axle, one on the rear – giving it four-wheel drive. Together they produce 671bhp for a 0-62mph time of less than 3.0sec.

The motors get power from a 100kWh battery, for an estimated range of 497 miles on a single charge. That's further than any electric car currently on sale in the UK can do, including the BMW iX, Mercedes EQS and Tesla Model 3. 

The Inception comes with 800V charging, which increases the voltage to cut the time it takes to fill the battery. To put that in context, the Porsche Taycan without 800V charging takes an hour to get its 93kWh battery to 80% using a 50kW public charger, but just 20 minutes with it.

Styling wise, the Inception features a sharp, angular body shape. A single piece of glass across the front merges the front grille with three emblematic ‘claws’ at each end. 

While Peugeot doesn't plan to put the Inception into production, it uses new underpinnings designed for electric and plug-in hybrid cars that will feature on all its new models from 2025.

Inside, the Inception has surfaces made from glass so the interior colours reflect the car's surroundings. Instead of a conventional dashboard and steering wheel setup, there's a screen that allows the driver to control different functions of the car – including the accelerator and brake – by simply touching one of four circles with their thumbs.

The absence of pedals and the thumb controls could potentially benefit drivers with some disabilities.

A circular display called the 'halo-cluster' sits on top of the dashboard in front of the driver to show important driving and infotainment information. There is also an artificial intelligence system that recognises the person sitting in the driving seat and automatically adjusts the seating position, temperature and driving mode to suit their preferences. 

The brand plans to offer an electrified version of each of its models by 2024. The line-up will include the recently unveiled Peugeot e-308 (in hatchback and SW estate car forms), and hybrid versions of the Peugeot 3008 and Peugeot 5008 SUVs.

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